Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday directed the Chief Secretary to form a state-level committee to address issues related to financial assistance to the sugar industry, and asked it to submit a report immediately.

The committee will include secretaries from the Cooperation, Agriculture, and Finance departments, the Sugar Commissioner, the Industry Secretary, and the Managing Director of the State Cooperative Bank.

CM Fadnavis issued these directives during a meeting at Vidhan Bhavan to discuss the challenges facing the sugar industry.

He stated that the committee would conduct a thorough study of the difficulties faced by sugar factories, the nature of their problems, remedial measures, and alternative arrangements to submit an immediate report.

“This will help the state government formulate a financial package for the industry,” he said.

Given the financial difficulties of the state’s sugar factories, the Chief Minister said an action plan should be prepared to provide possible financial assistance ahead of the upcoming crushing season.

He emphasised the need for a state government regulatory system for large jaggery and khandsari projects, adding that a draft of these regulations must be submitted within the next 15 days.

“The state government maintains a positive stance toward making strategic decisions to empower the sugar industry and resolve its hurdles,” CM Fadnavis said.

He further stated that the state government would seek a meeting with the Central Government, along with a delegation from the Sugar Factory Federation, to secure necessary cooperation and concessions.

He added that the state would make every effort to ensure assistance from both the state and central levels to resolve the challenges faced by sugar factories.

Earlier, sugar industry representatives comprising Harshwardhan Patil, Dilip Walse Patil, Jayant Patil, Rajesh Tope, and Abhimanyu Pawar, among others, demanded that the state government provide direct financial assistance of Rs 500 per ton to cover the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), similar to Punjab and Karnataka.

They urged the government to facilitate loans from the open market with interest subsidies to clear pending dues. They also demanded long-term restructuring of all factory loans as of March 31, 2026, with a 2-year moratorium and a 10–12-year repayment period.

The industry representatives also requested that the Chief Minister lead a delegation to PM Modi and Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to demand an increase in the sugar MSP to Rs 4,100 per quintal, a rise in ethanol prices, the release of Rs 69 crore in pending interest subsidies for 21 ethanol projects, and directives to banks to provide loans despite short margins.

–IANS

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